SYLFS 31

Chapter – 31

Not a Mother, but an Adoptive Mother

Not only Guan Baocheng, but the nearby Guan Ruirui and Bai Shuqin were also standing there in a daze.

It was an unexpected outcome, yet somehow, it also felt like an ending they had vaguely sensed was coming.

The moment they saw Xuxu, the last sliver of hope lingering in their hearts was completely shattered.

—Xuxu truly was the eldest daughter of the Jiang family!

After the initial shock faded, what surged over them was an intense jealousy.
Guan Ruirui’s eyes were gradually turning red with envy.

She had always known that Xuxu was beautiful.
That’s why, every time there was a banquet at home, she would deliberately pick out dresses in difficult colors for her—dull purples, gaudy shades too mature for her age—pushing these “trap outfits” onto her under the guise of “kindness,” and if Xuxu refused, Bai Shuqin would force her.

“Wear it, or wear nothing.”
Those were always the only two options.

But ironically, Xuxu’s skin was translucent and fair, and she could carry off any color. No matter how hard Guan Ruirui tried, she could never surpass her. At best, she could only manage to make others label Xuxu as “the girl with a pretty face but bad taste.”

Yet now—Xuxu, appearing as the daughter of the Jiang family, was wearing an exquisitely crafted dress adorned with two-toned camellias. Black was the base, but it radiated a beauty reminiscent of pristine white.
Elegance and vitality coexisted perfectly; just standing there, she effortlessly captured everyone’s attention.

“Is that the Eldest Young Lady of the Jiang family? That dress… isn’t that Master Eli’s released autumn/summer concept haute couture?”
“Yes, I remember. It’s a high-end custom piece not yet officially on the market. To get it… only the Jiang family could manage that.”
“Have you forgotten? The Jiang family’s Fourth Aunt. With her status in the fashion world, getting a couple of dresses would just require a word from her.”

The whispers pierced Guan Ruirui’s ears like sharp thorns.
Unable to bear it, she deliberately put on a worried expression, lowered her voice, and interjected.

“…Could it be a fake?”

Instantly, the chatter from the women around her stopped abruptly.
In the next moment, faint, derisive breaths were heard, and then, without a single word, everyone distanced themselves from her, as if wanting to avoid a fool.

Guan Ruirui’s face twisted with humiliation, and she looked ready to grind her teeth.
She instinctively glanced towards Pei Yuancheng seeking help—but he was just staring dumbfounded at Xuxu, completely captivated.

At that moment, Xuxu’s gaze sharply turned towards her.

…No, more precisely, towards the dark miasma clinging to her back.
The shadow, once gray, had now turned pitch black, half-enveloping her body.

—Guan Ruirui, what have you done this time?
A slight chill entered Xuxu’s eyes.

Jiang Yucheng and Jiang Huai, standing right beside her, keenly sensed this change and followed her gaze. What they saw was precisely the figures of the three Guan family members.

Furrows appeared on their brows.

Meanwhile, the Old Master of the Jiang family wore a hearty smile and proudly announced to the guests,

“Thank you all for gathering here today amidst your busy schedules to celebrate this happy occasion for the Jiang family. Allow me to formally introduce to you all: my eldest granddaughter, the Eldest Young Lady of the Jiang family—Jiang Xuxu!”

Amidst the applause, Jiang Xuxu—now truly and rightfully the daughter of the Jiang family—wore an elegant smile and greeted everyone with perfect etiquette.

The moment he heard the name “Xuxu,” Guan Baocheng’s knees almost gave way.
The daughter they had raised for eighteen years was actually the lost treasure of the Jiang family!

Memories of the past flooded his mind.
The sudden favorable business deals, the contracts that were inexplicably canceled.
Bai Shuqin and Guan Ruirui’s strangely frightened expressions that day—the answer to everything lay here.

—It was all because Xuxu was a daughter of the Jiang family!

Regret and rage coursed through his entire body.
But today’s event was the Jiang family’s banquet—he couldn’t make a scene.

The moment he realized this, Guan Baocheng’s expression completely changed.
Hiding the storm raging in his heart, he put on a gentle, affectionate smile, took Bai Shuqin’s hand, pushed through the crowd, and stepped forward in front of Xuxu.

“Xuxu, you look truly beautiful tonight. Seeing you well finally puts my heart at ease. After you left, both ‘Mom’ and I have been so worried.”

A ripple of murmurs passed through the venue.
Then, he deliberately let out an “Ah,” and tapped his forehead as if remembering something.

“…No, that’s wrong, that’s wrong. I can’t call her ‘Mom’ anymore now, can I? From now on, we should be called ‘Adoptive Mother’.”

Behind the warm, affectionate tone seeped a desperate calculation.